Editing The Empire Strikes Back (section)

=== Filming at Elstree Studios ===
[[File:Elstree Studios - geograph.org.uk - 1184042 (cropped).jpg|left|thumb|alt=A front-facing exterior photograph of Elstree Studios|On-set filming location [[Elstree Studios (Shenley Road)|Elstree Studios]] (pictured 2009) in Hertfordshire, England]]
Filming at Elstree began on March 13, 1979.{{sfn|Hearn|2005|p=127}} Production remained behind schedule without Stage 3 (which had been destroyed by fire), and the incomplete ''Star Wars'' stage lacked protection from the cold weather. The result was that the crew had to work out of any available space.{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=120}} To save time, some scenes were shot simultaneously, such as those set in the ice cavern and medical bay.{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=127}} Kershner wanted each character to make a unique entrance in the film. While filming Vader's entrance, the snow troopers preceding Prowse tripped over the polystyrene ice, and the stuntman behind him stood on his cape, breaking it off, causing Prowse to fall onto the snow troopers.{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=135}}

The shoot was strenuous and mired in conflicts.<ref name="EmpireMakingOf" />{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=132}} Fisher suffered from influenza and bronchitis, her weight dropped to {{convert|85|lb|kg}} while working 12-hour days, and she collapsed on set from an allergic reaction to steam or spray paint. She was also allergic to most makeup.{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|pp=132, 142, 169}} Her overuse of [[hallucinogen]]s and painkillers worsened her condition, as did the anxiety she experienced while performing her speech to the rebels.{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|pp=142,161}} Stress and personal traumas led to frequent arguments among Hamill, Fisher, and Ford.<ref name="EmpireMakingOf" />{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=166}} Ford and Hamill fell ill or were injured at different times.{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=152}} Hamill was depressed by his isolation from human cast members, as his scenes required him to interact mostly with puppets, robots, and actors whose voices would be added later or dubbed over.{{sfn|Packer|1980|p=16}}{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=195}} He was meant to use an earpiece to hear Oz's Yoda dialogue, but for various reasons this did not work, and he struggled to form a relationship with the character. The Dagobah set was liberally sprayed with mineral oil, which caused him physical discomfort for long periods. Hamill called it a "physical ordeal the whole time{{nbsp}}... but I don't really mind that".{{sfn|Packer|1980|p=16}} At one point, Oz cheered Hamill up with a [[Miss Piggy]] routine. Hamill recalled Ford giving him a kiss instead of reading his lines, which entertained the crew.{{sfn|Packer|1980|p=17}} Mayhew fell ill while filming Han's torture scene because the set used bursts of steam, which raised the ambient temperature to {{convert|90|F|C}} while he was wearing a wool suit.{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=201}}

Bank of America representatives visited the set in late March, concerned about rising costs.{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=137}} Lucas rarely visited the set, but arrived on May 6 after realizing the production was behind schedule and over budget.<ref name="NYTimesKurtz" /> An official Lucasfilm memo instructed staff to misstate the film's direct costs as $17{{nbsp}}million.{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=153}} At this point, Kurtz and Lucas estimated it would cost $25–28{{nbsp}}million to complete filming.{{sfn|Hearn|2005|p=127}}{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=153}} Finances ran out in mid-July when Bank of America refused to increase the loan.<ref name="EmpireMakingOf" />{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=206}} The crisis was kept from the crew, including Kershner, and tactics were used to delay its impact, including paying staff biweekly instead of weekly and Lucas borrowing money from his merchandising company Black Falcon.{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=206}} Lucas worried he would have to sell ''Empire'' and its associated rights to Fox to sustain the project, losing his creative freedom. Fox was also threatening to buy out the [[completion guarantee|bond]] and take over filming.{{sfn|Hearn|2005|p=127}}{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=206}} With about 20% of ''Empire'' left to film, Lucasfilm president Charles Weber arranged for [[Bank of Boston]] to refinance the loan to $31{{nbsp}}million, including $27.7{{nbsp}}million from Bank of Boston and $3{{nbsp}}million guaranteed by Fox in exchange for an increased percentage of the theatrical returns and 10% of merchandising profits. Lucasfilm took out the loan, making the company directly liable.<ref name="EmpireMakingOf" />{{sfn|Hearn|2005|p=127}}{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|pp=206,214}}

The ''Star Wars'' stage was completed in early May. It was too small to house the Rebel hangar and Dagobah sets, and an extension had to be funded and built. The producers mandated filming begin on the stage on May 18, regardless of its state.{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=154}} The hangar scene involved 77 rebel extras, which cost £2,000 per day.{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=159}} Around {{convert|50|ST|LT}} of [[Dendrite (crystal)|dendritic salt]], mixed with [[magnesium sulfate]] for a sparkle effect, were used for the snowy sets; this combination of substances gave the cast and crew headaches.{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|pp=159,161}} Second unit director John Barry died suddenly in early June; [[Harley Cokeliss]] replaced him a week later.<ref name="Wired10Things" /><ref name="NYTIMESBarry" />{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|pp=156,166}} The typical purpose of the second unit was to do time-consuming filming for special effects shots, but they were now filming main scenes—including Luke's ice cave imprisonment—because the schedule had overrun by around 26 days.{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|pp=147,189}} Hamill was unavailable for several days after injuring his hand during a stunt jump from a [[speeder bike]]. Having been called in for the stunt the same day his son was born, aggravated by the salt-laden setting, and exhausted, he angrily chastised Kurtz for not using a double for the scene.{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|pp=189,194}} Kershner's hands-on directing style, which included him acting out how he wanted a scene performed, agitated Hamill; Kershner, for his part, was frustrated that Hamill was not following his advice.{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=199}}

The life-size hangar set was dismantled in mid-June to allow the construction of other sets around the full-scale ''Millenium Falcon''. These scenes had to be filmed efficiently, so the ''Falcon'' could be dismantled to make way for the Dagobah set.{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|pp=167–169}} Filming began on the carbon chamber scene in late June while the second unit filmed anything they could.{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|pp=168–169}} The raised set was largely incomplete, and low lighting and steam were used to conceal any obvious flaws. The fog machines and heat from the steam made many cast and crew members sick; it took approximately three weeks to film.{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|pp=168,172,194}} The confession of love between Leia and Han was scripted with both of them admitting their feelings for the other. Kershner felt this was too "sappy". He had Ford improvise lines repeatedly until Ford said he would do only one more take; his response to Leia's confession of love in the final take was "I know".<ref name="EmpireMakingOf" /> By the end of the month, cast and crew morale was low.{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=194}}